Cadillac appoints Marcin Budkowski as new team principal
Budkowski takes charge of Cadillacâs F1 project
Cadillac Formula 1 Team has appointed Marcin Budkowski as its new team principal, replacing Graeme Lowdon as the American outfit seeks to accelerate its development after a difficult start to its world championship campaign.
Budkowski, 49, brings 25 years of Formula 1 experience to the role. He began his career as an aerodynamicist with Prost, Ferrari and McLaren before moving to the FIA, where he led the governing bodyâs Formula 1 technical department. He later joined Renault as an executive director and shared team principal responsibilities with Davide Brivio during the 2021 season.
After leaving Renault, Budkowski worked in consulting and punditry. His return to a senior operational role comes as Cadillac continues to build its organisation and completes new infrastructure in Indiana. The team currently sits last in the constructorsâ standings and is still waiting to score its first world championship points.
The appointment follows a formative period for the project. Cadillac is still building its Formula 1 foundations as its Fishers factory takes shape, with its wider infrastructure continuing to develop.
A mandate centred on execution
Budkowski outlined a clear priority: maximising car development within the cost cap while improving how every part of the team operates.
âCadillac Formula 1 Team has an extraordinary foundation and ambition,â Budkowski said. âThis is a phase of huge opportunity for the team, one that will be defined by a clear objective: maximising car development within the cost cap and turning every team function on to compete.â
He said his focus would be on aligning people, tools and information flow so that decisions could be made quickly and the car improved each time it raced. Budkowski is due to begin leading Cadillacâs on-track efforts at Zandvoort next weekend.
Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss described the appointment as another step in the teamâs evolution, stressing that the projectâs ambition extends beyond simply participating in Formula 1. He said Budkowskiâs technical experience and strategic leadership would strengthen the organisation as it develops the processes required for long-term success.
Lowdon, who joined Cadillac in December 2024, will now leave the team. Towriss thanked him for helping form the operation from the ground up and for establishing its foundation during the build-up phase.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.